


On the Rebound

by SadistiKitteh



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, a vent piece I expanded on a bit, boundshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 06:41:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16341767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadistiKitteh/pseuds/SadistiKitteh
Summary: He'd been brought out of the Shadows by the one person he thought wanted him, only to be thrown out of the door. Not knowing where else to go, he turns to the only person he can think of that would give the former thief what he craves.Companionship. A partner. A friend.





	On the Rebound

Bakura flinched as the door to the condo slammed shut in his face. "At least give me my stuff if you're kicking me out, asshole." He shouted, gritting his teeth and turning away to leave. He heard the door open, followed by the sound of something being thrown to the floor.

Bakura spun back around, stunned to see the one thing he knew he owned. A deep red hoodie, with a envelope sticking out of the pocket. He slowly picked it up, staring at the scrawl on the front. _For food/clothes. Leave._

Bakura felt his chest tighten, but refused to believe this was real. Malik had wanted him, he pulled him out of the Shadows. Why would he just abandon him? His mind was blank as he stared at the note, stared at the money inside. He threw on the hoodie and left stealthily, as if what was in his hands was stolen. 

He left the building without though, wandered the streets in a daze. He sped past places he'd visited with Malik, places that he'd dragged Malik into to try all the food he could stomach. Nowhere was safe from the ache in his chest, it seemed. 

He stopped in the only place he hadn't been, a cafe that catered mostly to tourists and he was surrounded by them. He felt like he was one of them now. And he suddenly realized then what the feeling in his chest was, one he hadn't felt for millenia. A feeling he swore he was used to. 

Bakura was alone. Left to rot on the streets, and alone. 

It was a pain he'd thought he'd forgotten, and suddenly the meal in front of him felt too much. He wrapped what was left of his sandwich and stuffed it in his pocket, heading out the door. He had work, but he was certain Kaiba wouldn't be willing to open his mansion to someone like him. 

Survive. He had to survive. It was all he had to drive him. 

He wandered into the night, wishing Malik had the decency to give him a weapon. He would need to defend himself, especially when he held a bright red target in the pocket of his hoodie. He walked fast, so deep in his thoughts of survival that he lost track of where he'd ended up. 

Great. Now he'd gotten lost. His time with Malik allowed him to get rusty. 

The thought of Malik brought the empty feeling and he fought it down, gritting his teeth. He needed to focus. He needed to survive. He needed... 

_He needed..._

Bakura looked up, spotting the familiar Game Shop. He approached the shop, only to find it locked. He could have broken in easy enough, but he hesitated. Yugi had been willing to give him a chance because of Malik, breaking in would only break what little trust there was. 

Why did he suddenly care? 

Bakura shook his head, and stepped away from the shop. He would have continued on, but he paused. He realized all he would have to turn to was Ryou, and that made guilt well up inside him. No, no more bothering that boy. 

He had done enough to Ryou. And, he supposed, to Malik as well. 

He would just have to look for another way to get Yugi's attention. 

* * *

Unaware of what went on outside, Yugi set about his nightly routine. His mind was partially still in his work, brainstorming ways to fix the coding to his game as he brushed his teeth. Whenever he got stuck in work mode like this, he always wound down with games. 

Now if he could just choose _one_... 

Yugi started from his idle thoughts by a loud tapping on his skylight. He looked up thinking it was only a curious bird, but was startled to see a familiar scarred face. Yugi frowned, he hadn't really seen Bakura since Malik had admitted bringing him back from the Shadows. He never thought much about Malik's intentions, just that Bakura didn't have any bad intentions of his own. 

Seeing the look in Bakura's eyes, however, he didn't think this was a malicious visit. 

Pulling out the pole hook for the skylight, he gently pushed open the window just enough to speak. "What do you want, Bakura?" 

Bakura didn't respond, mostly staring between him and the window. Did he expect Yugi to just willingly let him inside? 

The only answer was a scoff from Bakura before he decided to respond. "May I come for a visit?" 

Bakura's sarcastic tone held a hint of bitterness, one Yugi assumed wasn't directed at him. He wouldn't bend that easily though, intent on either figuring out what his late night visitor wanted with him or to chase him away from his window. 

Apparently, Yugi's silence grated more on Bakura than expected. 

"Fine!" Bakura snapped, glancing away from the window, "I...would like your companionship, if you'll have me." 

Yugi didn't expect that answer. "My companionship?" 

"A friend, there, I said it." Bakura hissed, hugging himself as he gripped his arms, "It's getting cold up here, Mutou." 

Yugi didn't expect that one either. He stared up at Bakura owlishly, still processing his request. However, he didn't doubt Bakura's words as much as he thought. The way Bakura avoided his gaze told him what he'd said was difficult enough for him to admit. 

"Alright," Yugi sighed, opening the window a little more, "Let me just get the ladder-" 

Which he no longer needed as Bakura took what space there was as enough invitation to squirm his way through. Yugi just watched, mostly in shock, as Bakura dropped to his bedroom floor. Bakura brushed himself off before looking up at Yugi, a small smirk stretching the scar on his cheek. "I've squeezed through tighter spaces, Mutou." 

Yugi gave an exasperated sigh before he grabbed the pole hook to close the window again. "Okay, I let you in. Why do you want to talk to me, though?" 

At that, the boastful smirk melted from Bakura's expression. He looked away, but Yugi could see something pained him. It was an odd look to see on the King of Thieves' face. But Yugi still didn't trust Bakura, and grew more uncomfortable watching Bakura having some kind of inner conflict with himself. 

"Look, Bakura, just go back home. This can wait until tomorrow--" 

"Wait." 

Yugi balked hearing the desperation in Bakura's voice and seeing the thinly veiled fear on his face. The grip on his forearm told Yugi enough. Yugi placed a hand on Bakura's, snapping Bakura out of it enough to look at their hands before pulling his back. 

"Malik kicked you out, didn't he?" 

Bakura looked at Yugi's face, stunned silent. Yugi only gave Bakura a weak smile, shrugging. "I'd be nervous too if I was left without a home after thousands of years without one." 

Yugi found that he preferred Bakura's mouthiness and sneers over what he saw now. It was a raw emotion, something that came out of trauma. Something Yugi wasn't sure he could offer any balm for. He wasn't sure what had happened, or understood why Bakura came to him and not Ryou (maybe Bakura actually felt he intruded enough in Ryou's life to leave him out of this). 

Yugi pulled out his desk chair, offering Bakura the seat before sitting on his bed. "I can't let you stay, but I can help you until things...calm down." Yugi explained slowly, noting Bakura had not relaxed at all in his seat. 

"I need a laptop for work. I used Malik's." Bakura murmured, not looking up at Yugi as he spoke. 

Yugi's face brightened, a genuine smile showing on his face. "Oh right! You're working with Kaiba Corp, right? Security?" 

Bakura's head snapped up then, staring at Yugi in disbelief. "How do you..." 

"Hard not to hear about Kaiba's annoyances when working with him," Yugi explained, sitting back on his hands, "Not that I...approve of the method you got hired. No worries, you should have your own laptop for this anyway." 

"Never thought I'd need it." 

Yugi tilted his head as he watched Bakura, noting his posture had become somewhat more relaxed. "Just make sure to pay me back, and I'll get it for you. I'm sure Kaiba will want to have a say in what technology you work with." 

Bakura snorted, but didn't respond. He still looked uncomfortable, but didn't show much beyond that. "Forget it, I'll find my own. Then I won't owe you anything." 

"You kind of still will, staying here and all." 

Bakura stiffened at that, a snarl growing on his face. Yugi flinched, and held up his hands. "Look, you clearly need a day to give Malik space. I'm just offering to buy it so you can work while here." 

Bakura leered at Yugi, but relaxed somewhat at the realization that Yugi was offering to shelter him. Bakura crossed his arms, the scar on his face wrinkling as if he was struggling with something internally. Yugi knew it would take a lot more than just talking once to bridge the gap of trust, and didn't expect Bakura to open up to him. Whatever made Malik kick Bakura out made Bakura desperate enough to come to him. But... 

"Why me?" 

Bakura snapped out of his thoughts to stare at Yugi, raising an eyebrow. Yugi shook his head. "I'm sure Ryou would've taken you in fine, probably wouldn't be happy about it, but he'd--" 

"Resentfully allow me to stay," Bakura drawled, rolling his eyes, "I know." 

Bakura shifted in his seat, staring at the poster board in Yugi's room. "But not as a friend." 

He chuckled quietly, a sad and bitter look crossing his face as he spread his arms wide. "I suppose I thought your friendship could even extend to me, but..." He lowered his arms, his playful facade fading as quickly as it came. 

"Yugi," Bakura swallowed thickly, gritting his teeth as he looked away, "I can survive on my own. I don't need you to help me survive." 

Yugi watched patiently as Bakura struggled to voice his thoughts. Without thinking, he placed a hand on Bakura's to show he was listening. He didn't expect Bakura to actually use his name. He didn't expect the hand to squeeze back in return. 

"Malik is all I have in this world; _this_ world. I've grown used to having a partner, but if I lose that," Bakura scoffed, looking more at the hand he was now holding, "Anyone I had before have long since passed. I have no one in this world but Malik, understand? And I won't ask Ryou to take that responsibility again." 

Yugi watched concerned, moving slowly off the bed to kneel in front of Bakura. How bad was this argument that made Bakura think he'd lost Malik for good? Did Malik even realize he took anything away from Bakura in bringing him back? 

Bakura looked at Yugi's face and scoffed, shaking his head. "I don't want your p--" 

Bakura's words froze in his throat, Yugi's arms winding cautiously around him stunning him into silence. Yugi only hugged Bakura briefly before letting go, looking up at him so openly that Bakura didn't realize just how close they still were. "Look, I don't understand why he brought you back or how. But I don't think he'd abandon you like that, Bakura." 

Yugi got to his feet, ignoring the stunned look on Bakura's face. "I'll let you stay a while, but you need to work things out with Malik," He grabbed a game controller by the desk, offering it out like an olive branch, "Right now? Mario Kart." 

Bakura carefully took the controller, watching as Yugi set up the game and console. He moved to the floor, uncertain why Yugi was suddenly in a gaming mood. "Isn't it late?" 

Yugi glanced back from his work, giving Bakura a slight playful look. "Why? Scared the King of Games will beat you?" 

Bakura blinked owlishly at the sudden playful demeanour, but got the meaning of Yugi's actions. And he could use a distraction. 

Bakura smirked, eagerly unwinding the wire from around the controller. "Bring it, Mutou."


End file.
